I'm not a huge hater of any players on this team, and honestly I haven't noticed White at all, probably because of his injury. But it's good to know that Babcock is capable of scratching an established player. I guess Cleary and Flip are considered too valuable to sit before this?

I would be mad, too, to be the first healthy scratch of a significant player, considering he hasn't been the worst disappointment.

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He tried to play it to the left, his stick broke. If you're going to blame him for things, make it the less sensational accurate things and not the ugly looking thing that wasn't his fault.

White's great when paired with someone who he doesn't have to compensate for. I don't know if we have that right now. If we're trading him, it'd better be for a better defenseman. I could see White and a pick or prospect for Gleason or something. Who knows. Could just be us trying to motivate White.

........I was talking about the 4th goal Anaheim scored in the 3rd period in the neutral zone.

Geez, why do you continue to attack people who have different views and opinions other than yours?

White said that, from what coach Mike Babcock told him, he has to "focus on going back and getting pucks and making sure that I get them out the first try."

What's stupid is that Babcock told him exactly why he's benching him, but yet he wants to keep yabbing his mouth. I know it sucks to get benched, and it's frustrated as all hell but you take it like a man, professional athlete, and above all, a team player and never let it happen again. Don't give them a reason to bench you, and you won't get benched.

Couldn't he waive it? It's not like we're Winnipeg and he'd pitch a fit. We're better than Carolina and he grew up nearby. Not that that would guarantee anything but it'd help.

Isn't Carolina #1 in the East currently? I wouldn't immediately say we're a worlds ahead of them, they have some serious talent and started to pick up the pace.

I'm not a huge hater of any players on this team, and honestly I haven't noticed White at all, probably because of his injury. But it's good to know that Babcock is capable of scratching an established player. I guess Cleary and Flip are considered too valuable to sit before this?

I would be mad, too, to be the first healthy scratch of a significant player, considering he hasn't been the worst disappointment.

I'm with you. I feel a combination of surprise and confusion. I think this is one of the only times since Babcock has been here that I can recall him benching an established player. Its made more confusing by the fact that: 1) a guy like Cleary wasn't benched way before White, and 2) that he waited until after the Wings/White have started to have some success. I suppose healthy bodies are part of the reason, but it seems like this is a little late, considering the 5-7 games span where White was garbage defensively and producing nothing offensively.

I pretty much understood that Babcock just plain didn't use benching as a means to spark/discipline players. Now I'm just confused. And I know we need to get Quincey reps to test his injury, but he still remains Duke of Suck, A-Number-1 when it comes to blueliners.

What's stupid is that Babcock told him exactly why he's benching him, but yet he wants to keep yabbing his mouth. I know it sucks to get benched, and it's frustrated as all hell but you take it like a man, professional athlete, and above all, a team player and never let it happen again. Don't give them a reason to bench you, and you won't get benched.

Isn't Carolina #1 in the East currently? I wouldn't immediately say we're a worlds ahead of them, they have some serious talent and started to pick up the pace.

southeast* the division, they are also tied with tampa and winnipeg for that very same spot, putting them one point into a playoff spot, 2 bad games and they aren't even close to a playoff position.

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Don't like this move by Babcock at all. To me it is poor coaching. White has not been the worst Dman on this team and has played a solid game (not great) but solid nonetheless. The fact is Quincy played awful earlier in the season but Babs played him. Clearly played awful for practically the entire season until recently, but Babs kept playing him. How does Babcock justify benching a guy that has played better than the 2 before mentioned names? To me that is silly and inconsistent coaching.